I Got Married for the First Time at 76: True love is never late

[justseyi]

When Janet Fontane retired from her international marketing career in 2016, she thought her biggest adventures were behind her. What she didn’t expect was that her greatest one — falling in love and getting married for the first time — was still ahead.

At 76, Janet had spent decades single. Friends often wondered why. “You’re kind, beautiful — how are you still not married?” they’d ask. Her reply was half-joking, half-hopeful: “Ask God.”

But retirement gave her something she hadn’t had before — time. Time to pause, reflect, and dream again. And the dream that rose to the surface was simple yet powerful: she wanted to love and be loved in return.

So, she made it her new project. “Just as I’d thrown myself into work, I decided to throw myself into finding my soulmate,” she said.

Finding Cliff
A friend, relationship counselor Gina Guddat, helped her create an online dating profile — complete with photos of Janet hiking, traveling, and dressed up for church. Within months, a few matches came through. Most fizzled out. Then in February 2021, she met Cliff, an 81-year-old widower from Phoenix.

Their first date was cautious — an outdoor vineyard meeting, mid-pandemic, bundled in masks and scarves. “He could barely see my face,” Janet laughed, “but we talked for three hours straight.”

The chemistry was quiet but undeniable. Soon, their daily phone calls became a ritual — sometimes three a day. Over the next three years, they took turns visiting each other in Seattle and Phoenix, slowly building trust and companionship.

What stood out most to Janet wasn’t just romance; it was respect. Hearing Cliff’s daughter-in-law describe him as a man who “deeply respects women” sealed her confidence. Her own family loved him, too.

Love After 70
By late 2023, conversations about their future turned serious. Cliff, ever the gentleman, joked that he couldn’t kneel to propose — so they picked out rings together.

In April 2025, they exchanged vows. It was, in Janet’s words, “a celebration of two separate lives merging into one beautiful final chapter.” She wore lace, had a bridal party, a wedding planner, and even a photographer — the full fairytale wedding she’d once assumed would never happen.

But the joy was bittersweet. Several loved ones had passed in the months leading up to the ceremony. “Grief and joy shared the same space that day,” Janet said. “I don’t think I could have appreciated that balance if I had married young.”

Love’s Late Bloom
Now settled into married life, Janet and Cliff still cherish their independence. “We share values, faith, and humor,” she said. “But we also give each other space. That’s the beauty of marrying later — you know who you are.”

Their love story has become a source of hope for others. Friends call her to say her journey inspires them to keep believing. Cliff’s golf buddies even ask if Janet has any single friends.

Her message is always the same: “It’s never too late. But you have to put yourself out there.”

At 76, Janet got the wedding she’d dreamed of — but more importantly, she got a partner who loves her deeply and completely. “I know Cliff has my back,” she said. “For however many years we have left, we’ll walk this road together — grateful, joyful, and never too late for love.”

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